Vegetable pop

07Mar

Pragya of Artocrat on Etsy has such fun, colorful prints of food. Wouldn’t it look great in a kitchen to make it bright and cheery? I love bright and cheery kitchens.

Plus, she makes vegetables look good.

Tags: color
Category: around the home, handmade, illustration // No Comments

Sketchy tape

16Feb

I love the Japanese washi tape with all of its colors and patterns. But check out Korean decorative tape:

I absolutely love the sketched drawings. Definitely in the “want” pile.

Also, for all those Manhattanites, there’s also the subway map tape which is also really cool. Imagine wrapping up a gift with that!

You can purchase them here at Essentials along with all of their other fantastic goodies.

Tags: craft
Category: illustration // 5 Comments

Hawks and bunnies

20Jan

Love this sweet “Hawks and Bunnies” 2011 calendar from Spartan. Do you notice the song lyrics to the side corresponding with each illustration? That’s my favorite.

Tags: calendar
Category: animals, illustration // 2 Comments

Spring Bear

13Dec

Hm, I think I found my doppelganger for a love of bears at Lizzy Stewart’s shop. Her hand printed pieces have a sweet and folky style. Of course, “Spring Bear” is my favorite:

Some of my other favorites in her shop include, “Flora and Fauna”:

And “In My Room” gocco print:

(And yes, I need to fire my gocco printer! I still have not tried it yet (so busy) and I’m sure I will love it. )

Tags: bears, gocco
Category: handmade, illustration // No Comments

Wondrous Watercolors

13Oct

I’ve been obsessed with Masha D’yans’ watercolors for some time now. Her masterful use of color and meticulous line work are nothing short of spectacular.

{Falltrees Umbrellawalk, Offset Printed Greeting Card}

Her playful and colorful painting style draws on inspiration from nature, fashion design, calligraphy, Japanese art and her native fairy tales from Russia.

{Snowflaketree Bird, Offset Printed Greeting Card}

{Bloomkiss, Offset Printed Greeting Card}

{Fishleaves Bird, Offset Printed Greeting Card}

And I am very happy to announce that Masha D’yans has designed a collection for the American Cancer Society’s “More Birthdays” movement and it’s now available online!

{Here’s to Clean Air, 24″ x 36″ poster & limited edition print}

Category: illustration, stationery // 3 Comments

Yellow Bird Project

11Oct

Hi everyone! I’m very excited to be guest blogging for the week, while Laura is trekking through the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. My name is Mimi Phan and I’m a web designer from the Boston area. Many, many things make me a happy camper and I’m happy to share them with you this week!

Art & music make me happy. Helping others make me happy. Using art & music to help others…well, that’s just something on a whole other level and truly special. Enter the Yellow Bird Project, a Montreal-based non-profit that works with a wide range of Indie-rock musicians to create unique T-shirt illustrations and designs. All proceeds go to the band’s charity of choice. Here are some of my favorites:

{designed by Beach House, proceeds benefit House of Ruth in Maryland}

{designed by Elvis Perkins, proceeds benefit the World Wide Fund for Nature}

{designed by the New Pornographers, proceeds benefit the The ALS Society}

And the one I’ve just purchased by one of my favorite bands!

{designed by Bon Iver, proceeds benefit the Interval House}

As a web designer, I love the Yellow Bird Project’s website. It really captures the essence of the non-profit and the illustrations are amazing. The yellow bird logo, in particular, just makes me one happy gal!

Category: fashion, illustration // 2 Comments

2011 sneak peek

04Oct

I’ve been seeing a lot of 2011 calendar debuts (or sneak peeks) lately so I’ll give you a little sneak peek of what I’ve been finding so far.

This folded paper animal calendar from Kate’s Paperie really caught my eye:

(There is even a bear!)

A seasonal produce calendar letterpress printed by Felt & Wire is a simple but bold, colorful display for your kitchen.

Flora and Fauna Press created a beautiful outdoor scene for a one piece calendar — I love the pops of color and there’s so much to look at throughout the year. {found via Oh So Beautiful Paper}

Has anyone found 2011 calendars that has caught their eye yet?

Tags: paper
Category: animals, illustration, letterpress // 1 Comment